Nut-lock.



No. 62Q,995. Patented Aug. I, |899.

R. H. HEMPHILL.

NUT LUCK.

(Application iled Sept. 30, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.ROBERT H. IIEMPI-IILL, OF HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI.

NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,995, dated August 1, 1899.

, Application filed September 30, 1898- Serial N0. 692320. (No model.)

To all who/at it' may concern:

Be it known that I, .ROBERT H. HEMPHTLL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Hattiesburg, in the county of Perry and State of Mississippnhave invented a new and useful Nut-Lock, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to nut-locks, and particularly to a device of that class adapted for.

use in connection with the joints between railway-rails; and the objects in view are to provide a lock adapted for positively securing the nut against accidental loosening, as by thejarring of the rails, without requiring such a construction of nut asto materially increase the cost thereof, and, furthermore, to provide means whereby the nut may be released without injury thereto or to the cooperating parts of the device.

Further objects and advantages of the-invention will appear in the following description,and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a construction involving a nut-lock embodying the essential features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the bolt, nut, and washer constructed to correspond with similar parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an inner face view of the nut. view of the washer. Figs. 5 and G are plan views, respectively, of portions of the shplates to show the openings formed therein for the reception of the bolt. Fig. 7 is a detail view in perspective of a washerembodying the essential features of the invention and provided with modified means for holding thc same against rotation. Fig. Sis an edge view of the modified form of Washer illustrated in Fig. '7.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In Fig. 1 the nut-lock embodying my invention is shown applied to the adjoining extremities of track rails 1, the jointv being spanned by front and rear fish-plates 2 and 3, provided with openings 4: and 5, which are shown in plan, respectively, in Figs. 5 and 6, the opening 4 being provided with diametrically opposite communicating'kerfs or seats '6 and the opening 5 of the fish-plate 3 having Fig. l is a plan diametrical extensions 7, designed for the re-Y ception of lateral enlargements 8, formed on the bolt 9, adjacent to its head, the object of the said enlargements and their engagement with the extensions 7 of the opening 5 being j to hold the bolt positively against rotation, or,

in other words, to lock this member of the de- `vice with relation to the fish-plates.

The nut l10 is substantially of the ordinary construction, the only departure therefrom relating to an annular series of ratchet-teeth 11, formed on the inner or rear face of the nut around a continuous annular bearing-rib 12, and by preference the exposed or bearing surface of this rib is ush with the outermost extremities of the ratchet-teeth 11. In cooperation with this nut is a locking bolt or washer 13, having a central annular bearing-rib 14 concentric with and bounding the opening through which the bolt extends and also having a reduced annular portion or fiange 15, which is divided and partially separated from the bearing-rib 14 to form a springtongue 16, terminally up turned to engage the ratchet-teethof the nut. In practice the bearing-ribs 12 and 14 are made of equal widths, while the peripheral reduced portion or flange 15 of the washer is of a width approximately equal with the ratchet-teeth 11 of the nut, and hence it will be seen that when the nut is screwed down firmly upon the` washer the pressure willbe sustained solel y4 by the registering bearing-ribs, while the tongue 16 will be free to engage the ratchetteeth 1l. Furthermore, inasmuch as the tongue16 is of a thickness less than the bearing-rib 14, which fork convenience may be termed the body portion of the washer, the extremity of the tongue may be repressed to disengage the ratchet-teeth 1l, and thus release the nut for backward rotation. To facilitate this repression of the tongue 1G, of which the body portion is covered and concealed by the toothed portion of the nut, I preferably provide it at its extremity with a radially-extended ear 17. Against this eara suitable tool may bear in order to force the tongue toward the fish-plate to release the nut. The other extremity of the reduced rim 15 is bent or turned rearwardly to form a stud or projection 1S for engagement with a fixed object, such as the fish-plate, the above-de- ICO scribed kerfs or seats 6 being designed for this purpose and it being understood that one or more of such kerfs or seats may be provided to arrange the locking-tongue 16 in the desired position with relation to the rails.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown a slightlymodified construction of Washer wherein ,however, may be found the continuous annular bearing-rib 14a, corresponding with the rib 14 of the preferred form of Washer, and a yielding locking-tongue 16, arranged outside of the bearing-rib and adapted to engage the ratchet-teeth of the nut; but in this modified form of the Washer other means are provided for preventing rotation thereof independently of the fish-plate. For instance, the Washer-plate is extended radially to form a holding-ear 19,0f which the outer edge is adapted to rest upon the foot of the fish-plate or ,the foot of the rail or other adjacent object. In the modified construction, as in the preferred construction illustrated in Figs. lto 4, inclusive, the locking device is of reducedthickness, whereby the operation of disengaging the extremity thereof from the ratchet-teeth of the nut is facilitated. In other words, the reduction of the tongue provides space in which the same may be vibrated in order that the nut may be released, and in practice I prefer to form this tongue with its rear side or back fiush with the rear surface of the body portion of. the washer, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 8. This necessitates the for- Ward or outward movement of the extremity of the tongue through an interval exceeding the entire thickness of the body portion of the washer and depth of the ratchet-teeth in the nut; but While this necessitates greater resilience in the tongue it does not in practice impair the efficiency of thelock, and I have found thatit materially adds to the durability of the struct-ure by enabling the disengagement of the, nut to be accomplished without injury to the other elements of the lock.

While I have described the nut-lock embodying my invention as being applied to railway-track construction, it Will be understood that by modifying the means whereby the Washer is held from rotation the same construction may be applied to bolts used in connection With timbers and may also be used in connection with other elements of machinery and machine construction.

A further advantage from the above-described construction of Washer is derived from the fact that when stamped the reduction in portions of the tongue serves to increase the Width thereof, and this produces the laterally-projecting. ear, Which extends beyond the periphery of the nut to facilitate the operation of disengaging the tongue from the ratchet-teeth of the nut.

Having described my invention, I claiml. The combination with a bolt and nut, the latter being provided at its inner face with a continuous annular bearing-rib bounding the bolt-opening therein, and a surrounding annular series of ratchetteeth, of which the eX- tremities are iiush with the inner surface of the bearing-rib, of a washer-plate having an annular bearing-rib bounding the bolt-opening therein, and adapted to receive the pressure of said bearing-rib of the nut, and a reduced rim surrounding said bearing-rib of the Washer, with its outer surface set inward from the outer surface of its. bearing-rib, and terminating in an upturned resilient tongue terminally disposed to project beyond the outer surface of the bearing-rib for engagement with the ratchet-teeth of the nut, whereby said tongue may be repressed beyond the plane of the contacting surfaces of the bearing-ribs, to release the nut, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with abolt and nut, the latter being provided at its inner face With a continuous annular bearing-rib bounding the bolt-opening therein, and a surrounding annular series of ratchet-teeth, of Which the extremities are :flush With the inner surface of the bearing-rib, of a fish-plate provided With a bolt-opening and communicating opposite radial slots 6, a Washer-plate having an annular bearing-rib bounding the bolt-opening therein, and adapted to receive the pressure of said bearing-rib of the nut, and a reduced rim surrounding said bearing rib of the Washer, with its outer surface setinWard from the outer surface of its bearing-rib, and terminating at one end in an upturned resilient tongue disposed to project at its extremity beyond the contacting surfaces of the bearing-ribs to engage the ratchet-teeth of the nut, and terminating at the other end in an inWardly-projectingstud for engagementwith one of said slots 6, the tongue being adapted for repression to dispose its extremity beyond the plane of said contacting surfaces of the bearing-ribs, to release the nut, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT H. HEMPHILL.

i/Vitnesses:

J. J. GILLIS, SML. C. TUCKER.

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